Ontario

Each year, more than half a million visitors view Canada's Books of Remembrance in the Memorial Chamber on the second level of the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill.

The Memorial Chamber remains a beautifully crafted room with a vaulted ceiling, stained glass windows and intricate carvings depicting Canada's record of war. The centerpiece of the Chamber is the main altar for the First World War Book of Remembrance. The steps on which the altar rests are made of stone quarried from Flander's Fields. Inlaid into the floor surrounding the steps are brass nameplates, hand-crafted from spent shell cases found on a battlefield, recording the major actions in which Canadian's took part in during the First World War.

Upon the altar is a glass-topped case of finely tooled brass with small statuettes of angels kneeling at each corner. Within this case rests the First World War Book of Remembrance, set on a special balancing lectern so that the pages are always level and easily readable through the protective glass. The remaining six books are displayed, resting on their respective altars around the room. The Second World War Book of Remembrance is positioned against the southern wall.

Stone altars for the Books of Remembrance have been created and installed to mark the 100^th anniversary of the First World War. The altars are in keeping with the Memorial Chamber’s original design and support the preservation of the Books of Remembrance so that Canadians can visit them for decades to come.

In 1959, high temperatures and humidity inside the Memorial Chamber destroyed the bindings of the First and Second World War Books. Consequently, new red Levant (goatskin) leathers were obtained and both books were rebound. The Chamber is now temperature controlled, and the Books' glass enclosures also provide protection.

The Memorial to the Heroes of 1812 - 1814, as it is formally known, was commissioned by Lt.-Col. William Hamilton Merritt, in 1913 and unveiled before April 1914. It was created to commemorate the centennial of the Anglo-American war, fought between 1812 and 1814, and the successful defense of British North America by the British, Canadian and Indigenous.

Merritt had a personal interest in the war because his grandfather and namesake had distinguished himself in a number of major actions. His grandfather was captured and interned by the Americans following the Battle of Lundy’s Lane, in 1814.

Lt.-Col. Merritt was on an extended trip to Switzerland when he wrote directly to Prime Minister Sir Robert Borden, in 1913, to offer the plaque for installation in the Parliament Buildings. The Prime Minister liked the idea and consulted with members of his cabinet to see if accepting it would be appropriate. Sir George Perley, Minister without Portfolio, replied that he thought it was right and proper that we should have a memorial of this kind to spur on future generations. Perley was concerned that a plaque celebrating victories over the Americans might offend some American visitors if it was displayed in too prominent a location. He recommended that it be installed in a discrete location between the old Reading Room and the Library of Parliament.

In early 1914, the Minister of Public Works wrote to Lt. Col. Merritt to accept his generous gift on behalf of the Prime Minister. By this time, Merritt had already taken delivery of the plaque from a German foundry. The plaque was then shipped to Canada and subsequently installed in the Parliament Building before April 1914. Its exact location at that time is not currently known.

The plaque was installed in the original Parliament Buildings, survived the fire of 1916 and was reinstalled in the Centre Block in the 1920s.

On Friday, November 7, 1986 a special assembly was held at Lisgar Collegiate Institute in memory of former graduate, Sergeant Edward Holland, VC.  A print depicting the Royal Canadian Dragoons, of which he was a member, was presented in his honour to the school. This coincided with the mounting of a plaque dedicated to Holland's valour, created by the school in collaboration with the Lisgar Alumni Association. Both tributes are now prominently installed in Memorial Hall at the school.

In attendance were: Brigadier-General G.G. Bell, Colonel of the Royal Canadian Dragoons, Lt. Colonel D. A. Henderson, Mr. Edward Holland and Mrs. Judy Kahn, the grandson and granddaughter of Sergeant Holland. There was also a person on stage dressed in a military uniform similar to that worn by Sergeant Holland.

A biography was prepared by Sydney Bateman, a former Lisgar head-boy (1944).  His research and initiative persuaded the Alumni Association to proceed with the tribute. Mr. Edward Holland, on behalf of his sister and himself, expressed their deep appreciation for this tribute to their grandfather.

Sergeant Holland joined the Army after he left Lisgar, served in the South African War, and was awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions on November 7, 1900.  Holland later achieved the rank of Major and served in the First World War. The Major E.J.G. Holland VC Armoury is named in his honour.

After Major Holland died on June 18, 1948 in Cobalt, Ontario, he was cremated and his ashes were cast over a small island in lake Temagami, as directed in his will.

The Hong Kong Memorial Wall was unveiled August 15, 2009, dedicated, by the Hong Kong Veterans Commemorative Association, as a lasting memory to the 1,975 Canadians who sailed to Hong Kong in 1941 to assist the British in defending the colony against the Japanese invasion. The Hong Kong Memorial Wall consists of a six-metre concrete wall covered in granite, with the upper part shaped as a mountain landscape.

The names of 961 members of the Royal Rifles are etched on one side of the wall and the names of 911 Grenadiers are on the other side. The 106 members of the Brigade Headquarters, including doctors, dentists and chaplains are listed on either end of the memorial.

Excerpt from the Ottawa Citizen - by Louisa Taylor - Sunday, August 16, 2009 - A testament spoken in stone - Hundreds attend opening of Hong Kong veterans' memorial - to see, touch and remember.

More than 400 people gathered at the corner of Sussex Drive and King Edward Avenue, on the bank of the Rideau River, for the dedication of the elegant granite Hong Kong Veterans Memorial Wall. The wall is etched with the names of all 1,975 men and two women who served in defence of Hong Kong when Japanese troops invaded the British colony in December 1941. They were the first Canadian troops to see battle in the Second World War. Inexperienced, underequipped and heavily outnumbered, the Canadians fought hard for 17 days until they were overrun and forced to surrender. Approximately 291 Canadians were killed in battle, 500 more wounded. Survivors were sent to prisoner-of-war camps, where they faced torture, starvation, and disease. Another 267 died there. When they returned home, their efforts were overshadowed by the events in Europe, and for many years their contribution was largely ignored.

Saturday's event - timed to coincide with the 64th anniversary of VJ Day - aimed to change that picture. About 80 Canadian veterans of the Battle Hong Kong are still alive, and 22 of them were at the ceremony. They walked or were wheeled along a red-carpet receiving line that included three cabinet ministers - Greg Thompson, Minister of Veterans Affairs; John Baird, Minister of Transport; and Stockwell Day, Minister of International Trade and the grandson of a Hong Kong veteran - Liberal Senator Vivienne Poy, a native of Hong Kong; and General Walter Natyncyck, Chief of Defence Staff. Still, the veterans - calm, patient, quiet - were always the stars.

The first speaker was veteran Phil Doddridge, President of the Hong Kong Veterans' Association and one of the main champions in the effort to create the memorial. "This ceremony marks the fulfilment of a dream," Doddridge told the crowd, which gave him the loudest cheer. "This is a permanent marker of our place in history."

List of names

This memorial is dedicated to the memory of the members of the Club who fell during the First World War, originally erected by the Ladies Auxiliary of the Rideau Aquatic Club, date unknown. This memorial was rededicated in 1981 to include the members of the Club who fell during the Second World War.

This award, first referred to as the “Air Reservist of the Year” Award, was established by the Air Force Association in the millennium year 2000. Today it is presented as the Flight Lieutenant D.M. Grant, DFC Memorial Trophy for the “Reserve Aviator of the Year.”

The trophy recognizes the outstanding service of Flight Lieutenant Duncan Marshall Grant of 400 Squadron, now a CF Air Reserve Squadron, killed in action 28 September 1943 over Paris, France, when his Mustang aircraft was hit by flak and crashed.

This commemoration is dedicated to the WRENS, the Women’s Royal Canadian Naval Service (WRCNS) known as “WRENS”, and the critical role they played in the Second World War. The commemorative plaque for WRENS Way was installed on September 29, 2021.

Michael Kilpatrick, on behalf of the Alta Vista Community Association, submitted an application to the City of Ottawa on December 19, 2019, to commemorate the Women’s Royal Canadian Naval Service (WRCNS) or "WRENS", by naming the Heron Corridor, located at 1612 Kilborn Avenue, "WRENS Way". On August 26, 2020, Ottawa City Council approved the “WRENS Way” commemorative naming proposal.

WRENS Way was chosen after a contest run by the Alta Vista Community Association and announced on November 6, 2019. Teresa LeGrand's submission stated although WRENS Way is the chosen new name, it also honours the other women’s divisions who served. The name was chosen from 58 submissions.

Originally conceived as the “Airman of the Year Award” in 1971, the inaugural winner of the award was Master Corporal Peter Engbrecht at the Annual General Meeting in Ottawa in 1972. Engbrecht was an air gunner with 424 Squadron, was Canada's only non-pilot Ace of the Second World War and was the first non-pilot Ace earning five or more kills against enemy aircraft.

The title of the award was changed in 1993 to Air Marshal C. Roy Slemon, CB, CBE, CD Memorial Trophy. Slemon was the Royal Canadian Air Force’s Chief of Air Staff from 1953 to 1957. He joined the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1922. After an early military career flying Vickers Vedettes, he served as Senior Staff Officer and then as the Commander of Canada’s Western Air Command from 1938 to 1941. After a posting to the United Kingdom, Slemon became Senior Air Staff Officer at No. 6 (Canadian) Bomber Group in 1942. During the last year of the Second World War, Slemon was Deputy Air Officer Commander-in-Chief of the RCAF Overseas.

Slemon was Air Officer Commanding Training Command at CFB Trenton in 1949, Chief of the Air Staff in 1953 and Deputy Commander in Chief of NORAD in 1957. He retired to Colorado Springs in 1964.

The Mynarski Trophy was presented for the first time at the 1958 Annual Convention held in Edmonton, Alberta. At the time, the Mynarski Trophy was awarded to the Royal Canadian Air Force Wing (Station) with the most effective and successful social, recreational and cultural support program/facility/venue to Canadian Forces families and dependents lodging and working at the Wing/Station/Base. The Mynarski Trophy was subsequently re-purposed circa 1976 and introduced as Canada’s highest award for excellence in the field of air search and rescue, and may be awarded “to the most deserving federal, provincial or civilian organization, crew or individual in recognition of a significant contribution to aviation search and rescue in Canada.” 

The trophy memorializes Pilot Officer Andrew Charles Mynarski of 419 “Moose” Squadron, who was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross. Mynarski gave his life trying to free a trapped air gunner as their stricken Lancaster bomber plummeted in flames, 13 June, 1944 after being hit by enemy fire during a raid over enemy-occupied Europe.